Lemon drizzle cake
Contains egg (no meat or fish)
A tender, zesty lemon sponge loaf soaked while warm with sharp lemon juice and sugar, which sets into a crunchy, sparkling crust.
Lemon drizzle cake is a British cake from United Kingdom, ready in about 2 hours 5 minutes and made with lemon zest and lemon juice. It serves 10 and is rated beginner to cook.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 50 min
- Rest
- 1 h
- Total
- 2 h 5 min
- Serves
- 10
- Level
- Beginner
- Calories
- 322
Method
Step 1
Heat the oven (opens in a new tab) to 180 °C (fan 160 °C) and line a 900 g (2 lb) loaf tin (opens in a new tab).
- 3 min
- 180°C · fan 160 °C
- Oven (opens in a new tab)
- Loaf tin (opens in a new tab)
Step 2
Beat the butter, sugar (opens in a new tab) and lemon zest (opens in a new tab) until pale and fluffy. Beat in the eggs (opens in a new tab) one at a time, then fold in the flour and baking powder (opens in a new tab) with the milk (opens in a new tab) until smooth.
Step 3
Spoon into the tin and bake 45–50 minutes until golden and a skewer (opens in a new tab) comes out clean.
- 50 min
- 180°C · fan 160 °C
- Oven (opens in a new tab)
- Skewers (opens in a new tab)
Step 4
While the cake bakes, stir the lemon juice (opens in a new tab) and granulated sugar (opens in a new tab) together without dissolving the sugar completely. As soon as the cake comes out, prick it all over with a skewer (opens in a new tab) and spoon the drizzle evenly over the top.
Step 5
Leave in the tin until completely cold so the syrup soaks in and the sugar (opens in a new tab) crust sets, then lift out.
About this dish
- Origin
- United Kingdom · Commonly attributedAlso popular in IrelandMore food from United Kingdom
- Dish
- Snack · Dessert · Cakes
- Cooking method
- Oven-baked
- Taste
- citrusy, sweet, tangy
- Diet
- Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · No nut ingredientsWorked out from the ingredients. How labels work
All labels
Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Eggetarian · Pescatarian · Flexitarian-friendly · No nut ingredients · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · Low-sodium - Good for
- Make-ahead · Freezer-friendly · Child-friendly
- Cook more with
- Lemon zest · Lemon juice · Unsalted butter · Sugar · Egg · All-purpose flour
- Techniques
- Baking
Allergens
- Contains: Milkfrom unsalted butter, milk
- Contains: Eggsfrom egg
- Contains: Wheatfrom all-purpose flour, baking powder
- Contains: Glutenfrom all-purpose flour, baking powder
Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.
Nutrition
322 kcal per serving
Calculated1 serving ≈ 85 g · recipe makes 10
Where the energy comes from
- Protein 5%
- Carbohydrate 51%
- Fat 44%
| Nutrient | Per serving | Per 100 g |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | 322 kcal | 379 kcal |
| Protein | 4 g | 4.7 g |
| Carbohydrate | 42.1 g | 49.6 g |
| Net carbohydrate | 41.5 g | 48.8 g |
| Sugars | 28 g | 32.9 g |
| Added sugars | 27.5 g | 32.4 g |
| Fibre | 0.6 g | 0.7 g |
| Fat | 15.9 g | 18.7 g |
| Saturated fat | 9.4 g | 11.1 g |
| Trans fat | — | — |
| Cholesterol | 94 mg | 110 mg |
| Sodium | 96 mg | 113 mg |
| Salt equivalent | 0.2 g | 0.3 g |
Vitamins & minerals per serving
- Potassium
- 60 mg
- Calcium
- 60 mg
- Iron
- 1.2 mg
- Magnesium
- 7 mg
- Vitamin A (RAE)
- 145 µg
- Vitamin C
- 5 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.3 µg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.2 µg
- Folate (DFE)
- 61 µg
How these numbers were made
- Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
- “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
- Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.
Good to know
Tips
- Rub the zest into the sugar before creaming to release more lemon oil.
Common mistakes
- Drizzling a cold cake — it won't absorb the syrup.
Serve with
- With tea, or with crème fraîche and berries as a dessert.
Storage
- Keeps 4 days in an airtight tin; freezes well (drizzle before freezing).
Variations
- Orange and poppy seed drizzle: Use orange zest and juice and add 1 tbsp poppy seeds to the batter.
Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated
Recipe DNA
How this dish is built
Built from the recipe’s own sections. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.
What the dish is built around
Main ingredient
- Unsalted butter, softened175 g
- Egg3 piece · 150 g
- All-purpose flour175 g
- Lemon zest2 piece · 12 g
- Milk2 tbsp · 31 g
Baker’s notes
Customise in Bread & BakeryTimeline and readiness cues
Mix and knead · about 15 min
Mix only until no dry flour remains — overmixing makes it tough and tunnelled.
Bake · about 50 min at 180 °C
Risen and golden; a skewer in the centre comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs; the top springs back.
Cool · about 1 h
Cool on a rack before slicing — the crumb is still setting; cutting hot bread makes it gummy.
- Start to finish: about 2 h 5 min. Times are a guide — warmth changes everything; follow the cues.
If something goes wrong
Gummy or wet crumb
Likely causes
- Under-baked
- Sliced while hot
- Hydration too high for the flour
What to do
- Bake to 93–96 °C inside (cakes: clean skewer)
- Cool completely on a rack before slicing
- Reduce water by 3–5% or use a stronger flour
Collapsed or sunken middle
Likely causes
- Oven door opened too early
- Too much leavening or sugar
- Under-baked centre
- Over-proofed yeast dough
What to do
- Don't open the oven for the first two-thirds of baking
- Measure leaveners exactly with spoons, levelled
- Test the centre before removing
- Proof less
Pale crust
Likely causes
- Oven too cool
- Too little sugar or no milk/egg for browning
- Over-fermented (yeast ate the sugars)
What to do
- Check the oven with a thermometer
- Brush with egg wash or milk
- Shorten the fermentation
Burnt bottom
Likely causes
- Tray too close to the heat
- Dark tray absorbs more heat
- Too much sugar in the dough
What to do
- Bake on the middle shelf
- Double up trays or use a light-coloured one
- Lower the temperature 10–15 °C and bake a little longer
Cracked or domed top
Likely causes
- Oven too hot (crust sets before the centre rises)
- Too much leavening
- Overmixed batter
What to do
- Lower the oven 10–15 °C
- Use the exact leavening amount
- Fold just until combined
Big holes or tunnels
Likely causes
- Overmixed batter (cakes, muffins)
- Air trapped while shaping bread
- Uneven proof
What to do
- Mix quick breads only until no dry flour shows
- Degas gently and shape tightly
- Proof covered in an even, warm place
Dry or crumbly
Likely causes
- Too much flour (scooped, not weighed)
- Over-baked
- Too little fat or sugar
What to do
- Weigh flour, or spoon it into the cup and level
- Check 5 minutes early
- Don't cut fat or sugar by more than a quarter without another moisture source
Reviews & corrections
Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.
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